


5 things Tokiya never thought he’d learn to do (and one he does)

by orpheusheart



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-04
Updated: 2012-04-14
Packaged: 2017-11-03 01:17:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/375455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orpheusheart/pseuds/orpheusheart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tokiya knows that certain things existed, but it didn’t occur to him that he would learn to do them some day. Starting with a ball and a grassy field.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Soccer

—-

“Otoya, I don’t think this is possible.”

Otoya simply grinned, tossing his extra jersey set at Tokiya before looking for another pair of soccer cleats. The older teen sighed again, staring disdainfully at the shorts. White was easily stained; why the colour was used as soccer shorts, Tokiya would never understand.

“I have never played soccer in my life. I don’t think I’m even capable of kicking a ball, let alone-“

“To-ki-ya.”

The blue-haired teen glanced up from scrutinising the shorts, unfazed by Otoya’s closeness. He had learned long ago that it was useless to push the younger teen away, since personal space wasn’t in his vocabulary.

“It’s not about whether you’re good at soccer, Tokiya. It’s about having fun. You always have that grumpy face on, so I thought you would need some cheering up.”

“Otoya-“

“No buts! Go change and we can grab something to eat after we play.”

“A-ah.”

—-

“Otoya, don’t we need a goalpost or something?”

Otoya blinked up from where he was stretching forward on the ground. Tokiya was surveying the grassy area, looking ridiculously pale in contrast to the red jersey top.

“Ah, we don’t have to have one now, Tokiya. And you gotta stretch first, else you’re gonna pull a muscle.”

“But my shorts are white.”

“Don’t mind it. I can wash them later.”

Nodding, Tokiya started stretching with Otoya’s guidance. Once warm ups were over, Otoya grinned and jogged a few meters away from Tokiya.

“Are you ready?”

“Ah.”

The grin on the redhead’s face grew as he kicked the ball over to Tokiya, who frowned and kicked back with the front of his foot. As expected, the ball didn’t go where he wanted it to; instead of heading towards Otoya, it bounced off to the right. His partner laughed, shook his head and collected the ball, running back to Tokiya.

“No, no. Use the inside of your foot to kick. It’ll hurt less, promise.”

Frowning more, the taller male shook his head and tried again once Otoya placed the ball at his feet. This time, the ball went straight ahead. The younger male laughed again and ran after it.

“That’s good, Tokiya! Now let’s play a bit of passing!”

To Otoya’s delight, his partner was a fast learner. Passing, simple dribbling, ball possession; the younger teen only had to explain to Tokiya once and he managed to execute it almost perfectly.

“Aah, Tokiya, you’re a natural at this. Awesome!”

“I learn quickly, that’s all.”

“It’s still awesome. C’mon, I’ll teach you more tricks.”

—-

They called it a day when Otoya tripped once in a midst of a tackle and accidentally fell on top of Tokiya, eliciting a soft chuckle from the latter when he apologised and quickly rolled off. Both males were flushed from exertion, Tokiya more so because of his paler complexion, and Otoya couldn’t help but give a comment on it.

” Na, Tokiya. You look healthier like this.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“There’s more colour on your cheeks, and your smile is brighter. Makes you look more alive, yanno.”

Tokiya reached up to his mouth, feeling the corners of his lips tilted up. He hasn’t smiled this naturally since he first performed as Hayato, but he didn’t know if it’s a good or bad thing. Hayato’s smiles were a pain in the ass to generate, especially when he’s stressed with the deadlines and performance ratings.

“I suppose it’s a good thing then.”

“Definitely is!”

Otoya grinned, clapping him on the back after the cooling down stretches. They headed back to the dorms, stopping by Saotomate to grab a few bottles of water. Otoya was still bouncing on his feet even when they got to their room, his energy level seemingly endless, and Tokiya hid a smile while he changed out of the jersey.

“You never stop moving, do you.”

“Aah, sorry. Soccer always makes me more energetic for some reason.”

“It’s fine, Otoya. I’ll take the shower first.”

“Why don’t we take it together? Saves time and water, and we’re both boys right?”

“…I don’t usually share showers-”

“You don’t usually do a lot of stuff, do you, Tokiya.”

“I suppose you could say that.”

More laughing, and Otoya shook his head, tossing his clothes into the hamper as he grabbed his towel. Not waiting for the Tokiya’s response, he went into the bathroom, whistling cheerfully, leaving the older teen staring at the door to the bathroom.

That… was a very interesting experience indeed. Tokiya figured that there would be more in store for him, especially when the redhead’s involved.


	2. Guitar

—-

After the impromptu soccer stint and learning that Tokiya was a fast learner, Otoya was determined to get his roommate more involved with his own hobbies, much to Tokiya’s thinly veiled amusement. Not all were successful though; manga didn’t interest him at all, and he strictly said no to cooking lest he burned something altogether. Thus, after a week of enduring puppy eyes and almost-whining ( _I wasn’t whining!_ Otoya had protested when Tokiya told him about it, pouting at the accusation), the older teen relented, and found himself on his bed with a guitar one Sunday afternoon, his roommate sitting across him on a swivel-chair with a guitar as well.

“It’s actually pretty easy once you get the basic chords down, so don’t worry if you can’t get it all down in one go.”

“I’m not worried.”

Grinning, Otoya strummed his guitar, showing Tokiya the finger positions for the first chord.

“Okay, for C Major, from the first fret - that’s the raised parts up there, see? - you press your first finger on the second string, second finger on the forth string, and your third finger on the fifth string.”

Tokiya followed Otoya’s instructions, then blinked when the younger male shook his head, reaching over to adjust his left hand.

“The guitar isn’t going to eat you, so don’t strangle it so hard. Relax your grip, and use your fingertips.”

“…It’s harder than it seems.”

“Yeah, but once you get used to it, it’s easy. Oh, wait, I know something that’ll help!”

Watching as the redhead rummaged through his closet, Tokiya was surprised when Otoya rolled up a small face towel and handed it over.

“How would this help?”

“Ah, you just sandwich this between your hand and the guitar neck. It’ll be awkward, but that’s how I learned not to rest my palm on the neck.”

Tokiya tried it out, ignoring the ticklish feeling of terry cloth on his palm. Thumb resting against the back, palm forced away from the neck, fingers curled, he took his first strum, frowning when it didn’t sound exactly like Otoya’s.

“Something’s wrong.”

“Oh, you’re not supposed to strum the sixth string. And you’re holding the pick too tightly.”

The older male sighed, allowing his fingers to be adjusted again.

“This isn’t going to work.”

“You have to try harder, Tokiya-“

“ _I am!_ ”

Otoya’s startled expression at his outburst almost made Tokiya guilty, and the redhead sighed and set aside his own guitar.

“Sorry, Tokiya. I shouldn’t have forced you to learn the guitar.”

“Otoya, I’m sorry-“

“Nah, it’s fine, really! I guess the guitar isn’t for everyone, right?”

“Otoya-“

“Aah, it’s almost dinner time. I’m going to the cafeteria. Coming?”

“…No. I’m fine.”

“Call me if you want anything, kay?”

“I will.”

—-

“ _Tadaima,_ Tokiya.”

“ _Okaerinasai._ ”

Tokiya was exactly where Otoya left him: on his bed, the guitar still on his lap. His laptop was by his side however, which made Otoya curious, setting down the bag on the table before he approached his roommate.

“Tokiya?”

“Sit down, Otoya. I have something to show you.”

Nodding, the younger male sat down in his chair as Tokiya took a deep breath, arranging himself comfortably before he started to strum and sing.

“ _Twinkle, twinkle… little, star… How I… wonder… what you… are…_ ”

His chord progressions were a tad choppy, but he managed to make it through the whole song without stopping to refer to his laptop for the tabs and fingerings. Once he was done, he looked up, his smile tiny compared to Otoya’s proud grin.

“Tokiya! That was great!”

“I have yet to perfect the transitions, but this is what I’m able to work with within the last few hours.”

“That’s pretty good progress for one afternoon, actually.”

“I won’t be as good as you.”

“Don’t mind it! I’ve had longer to learn, so it’ll be unfair to compare us that way, na?”

“I suppose you’re right.”

Laughing, Otoya went to retrieve the bag, tossing a wrapped bun over to his partner.

“Got you your favourite.”

“Thank you, Otoya.”

“Don’t mind it. It’s a good reward, don’tcha think?”

“Mmn.”

It was a pretty rewarding afternoon, Tokiya mused as he ate his bun quietly and watched Otoya scratch his head over homework, nodding to the music from his headphones. He learned more things about music through the guitar, and, even though his fingers were slightly sore, it was worth hearing a tune that wasn’t coming from his own voice.

… Which made him wonder what else Otoya had in store for him. The redhead was certainly full of surprises.


	3. Mending clothes

—-

Another week passed without much fanfare, and Tokiya was spared from Otoya’s insistence to learn something new. Teaching the raven-haired teen soccer and guitar seemed to be enough for the redhead, and there was nothing else interesting for Tokiya to learn from him.

Until Tokiya discovered a pretty significant tear in his shirt. Granted, it was at the side, but it was too big to be hidden away, even with layering.

_I guess I can’t wear this anymore. Not when it’s like this._

He was about to throw it away when Otoya wandered over to ask about homework, and was sidetracked by the younger teen’s outburst.

“Aah, Tokiya, isn’t that your favourite shirt? What happened?”

“It’s torn, obviously.”

Otoya frowned, taking the shirt and inspecting it.

“I was going to throw it away.”

“But why? It’s still a good shirt, and I think I can mend it for you, easy.”

“It’s not a big deal, Otoya.”

The pout Otoya gave him made him wonder if he would ever say the right things around the younger boy.

“It _is_ a big deal, Tokiya. Mom always told me that if you can mend it, you don’t have to throw it away.”

“But… I can’t sew.”

“It’s easy to learn if it’s simple stitching. Don’t have to be so elaborate like Masa’s handiwork.”

“… Masa?”

“Hijirikawa Masato. He’s my classmate, yanno, Ren’s roommate?”

“Aah.”

“He might have some thread and a needle for this in his room. C’mon, let’s pay them a visit.”

—-

“ _Shitsureshimasu~_ ”

Ren turned when he heard the knock on his door, setting aside his darts to answer it. Having visitors was something he’s used to even when Masato was around, much to his roommate’s chagrin. Tonight’s visitors, however, took him by surprise.

“Ikki, Icchi. What brings you two here?”

Ren allowed the two to enter his room, ignoring Tokiya’s annoyed look at the nickname while Otoya grinned and spoke up, undeterred.

“Where’s Masa? I need to borrow a needle and some thread.”

“Hijirikawa, hm? He should be out of the shower soon.”

As soon as Ren finished his sentence, Masato appeared in a bathrobe, towel draped over his head and a surprised look crossing his face upon seeing his classmate in his room.

“… Ittoki?”

“Ah, Masa, good, you’re out. We need to borrow a needle and some thread.”

“What color thread?”

“Black should be fine, thanks.”

Otoya pulled Tokiya over to Masato’s side of the room, sitting by the edge of the raised wooden platform while Masato looked for the sewing materials. Tokiya thought they’d be returning to their room once a needle and thread were acquired, but his shirt in the redhead’s hands told him otherwise.

“Here you go, Ittoki… Is it for your shirt again?”

Otoya shook his head, holding up the shirt in question. Ren looked amused from where he was lounging on his couch, but Tokiya didn’t know whether it was from the fact that it’s his shirt Otoya’s mending, or that _Otoya_ was helping him mend his shirt. Frowning at the blond, he tuned out what Otoya and Masato were saying until the younger boy waved a hand in front of his face.

“Tokiya? Are you listening to me?”

“Ah. Otoya. You were saying?”

The redhead pouted, waving the needle around like a tiny baton.

“You’re not listening to me. I’m trying to teach you here.”

“I’m sorry.”

Still pouting, Otoya gave the shirt and threaded needle to Tokiya, taking the older boy’s hands and showing him how to stitch the tear. Ren and Masato looked on, the former grinning at the latter, who frowned and looked away, muttering under his breath.

“There, see? It wasn’t so hard.”

“It will hold, right?”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t it?”

“It’s done by me.”

Otoya laughed and nudged Tokiya playfully before he turned to Masato, tossing the spool of thread with the needle stuck firmly in it over to him.

“Thanks, Masa!”

“You’re welcome, Ittoki.”

Still grinning, the younger teen nodded at Ren before leaving the room. Tokiya followed suit, but was stopped at the door by Ren, frowning when the older male leaned in close. Too close for Tokiya’s comfort, in fact.

“A word of advice, Icchi: don’t take Ikki for granted.”

“I’m not taking him for granted, Ren. Otoya is important to me.”

“Oh, how important?”

Tokiya was about to answer Ren when Otoya called out for him from halfway across the hall, saying something about homework. Shaking his head, Tokiya waved him off first before turning back to Ren.

“He just is. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Kissing but not telling, are we?”

Tokiya stopped in his tracks, a light flush coloring his cheeks as he glared at Ren. The latter shrugged, leaning against the doorframe and grinning Cheshire-like.

“Really, kiss and don’t tell? From the looks of it, I’d say you two are involved in some way.”

“There is no kissing, Ren. Otoya is my friend. That’s all.”

“You lead a boring life, Icchi.”

 _I wish I did_ , Tokiya thought, bidding both Ren and Masato goodbye as he walked back to his own room. With HAYATO’s schedule and the school’s curriculum, his life hardly entailed on the boring side, made even more entertaining with Otoya’s randomness. Ren’s words kept replaying in his mind though; ‘involved in some way’ could mean many things, and considering that it’s Otoya he’s partnered with, anything that could happen, had already happened.


	4. Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: I apologise greatly for the OOC-ish!Otoya, as I have taken lots of liberties regarding his birth mother's death and how it would have affected him. Insert song is Miyano Mamoru's MOON LIGHT, which is bundled together with Orpheus. Go listen to it, it's a really lovely song.

—-

Haruka came looking for Tokiya between classes one day, worry written all over her face. Tomochika and Natsuki were with her as well, and the A Class trio gathered around Tokiya’s desk, which made the raven-haired teen fear the worst. Did they somehow discover his secret about HAYATO? No, Otoya possibly couldn’t have told them; the redhead didn’t even know about it, since Tokiya was pretty tight-lipped when it comes to discussing about his ‘brother’. Nonetheless, he had to take this neutrally, despite the paranoia eating at him.

“What’s the matter, Nanami-san?”

“Ichinose-san, have you seen Ittoki-kun anywhere?”

Tokiya shook his head. Otoya’s whereabouts weren’t his concern; apart from school, he had his part time job to do, and babysitting the younger teen wasn’t anywhere on his itinerary. He had an inkling Haruka’s worry involved his roommate somehow, when the peach-haired girl sighed, her gold eyes wet with unshed tears.

“This is terrible… He hasn’t come to class for the past few days, Ichinose-san. Even Tsukimiya-sensei is starting to worry.”

“Have you tried contacting him, Nanami-san? He always carries his cellphone with him.”

Tomochika held Haruka close to her while Natsuki spoke up. “We have, but there’s no answer. It’s as if he doesn’t want us to call.”

Well, that explained certain things. Tokiya nodded and took out his cellphone, setting it to speaker mode as he speed dialled Otoya. Two rings in, and the line cut to a dead tone, surprising everyone, even Tokiya himself. With a frown, he ended the call and looked up at Haruka.

“This is strange. He would usually pick up after the first two rings-“

His message alert went off mid-sentence, and he glanced at the single text from Otoya: _room alone_.

Haruka and Tomochika hovered over his shoulder as he read the text aloud, and the smaller girl sighed, attracting Ren’s attention as the tall blond walked over to the small group, curious.

“This isn’t like Ittoki-kun at all.”

“What isn’t like Ikki?”

Haruka wiped at her eyes as Natsuki repeated what they explained to Tokiya earlier, and Ren frowned, nudging his classmate on the shoulder.

“Go to him, Icchi.”

“Why do I have to go to him?”

“Because you’re his roommate.”

“He wants to be alone, Ren. His text said so.”

Ren looked at Natsuki and signalled for him to take care of the girls. Nodding, Natsuki gently took Haruka’s hand and led her out of the class, softly reassuring her that everything will be fine with Otoya and Tokiya will take care of him. Tomochika stayed behind for a moment to give Tokiya a squeeze on his shoulder, whispering _tanomu_ in his ear before she followed the other two, confusing the raven-haired teen.

“Ren, what is happening?”

Ren groaned, running his fingers through his hair before he rapped his knuckles on his classmate’s desk and looked at him seriously.

“Ichinose Tokiya. Is Ittoki Otoya important to you?”

Tokiya blinked, nodding automatically at the question. Ren smirked, and continued on.

“I’ve asked you this before, but you didn’t answer, so I’ll ask again. _How_ important is he to you? And don’t tell me he just is.”

The younger male frowned at the question, looking down at his cellphone and Otoya’s text. He knew he’s a little socially inept, with his few friends being Otoya, Ren, Shou, Haruka, and Masato and Natsuki to a certain extent, and he had always respected their decisions. Otoya’s request to be left alone was simple enough, so why did Ren wanted him to seek the redhead out?

“Icchi, listen to me. You said it yourself, Ikki is important to you. And for the past few days he’s been making the little lamb worry. For some reason, he refused to return their calls when they contacted him, but when _you_ called, he responded. What does that say about the situation?”

Tokiya said nothing, still puzzling things over, taking Ren’s words in consideration as well. _Haruka couldn’t get through to Otoya no matter how hard she tried, and the others couldn’t contact him either… And yet, I received a reply right after I tried calling… What do you want, Otoya?_

“Ren, please inform Hyuuga-sensei I will be absent for the rest of the lesson. Thank you.”

Ren broke into a grin as Tokiya excused himself and quickly walked out of the classroom, apologising to a curious Shou when he bumped into the shorter boy. Adjusting his hat, Shou turned to Ren, head cocked slightly.

“Where’s he going?”

“Taking care of Ikki.”

“Why, is he sick?”

“I’m not sure. Let’s hope it isn’t too bad though.”

—-

Their room was dark when Tokiya entered. The lights were turned off and the curtains drawn, and the raven-haired teen squinted, trying to pinpoint where his roommate was hiding.

“Otoya? Where are you?”

A soft rustling noise from Otoya’s side of the room attracted Tokiya’s attention, and, using his cellphone as a light source, he quietly made his way to Otoya’s bed. The younger male was hiding under his covers, a small tuft of red hair the only indication of his presence. Sighing, Tokiya reached out to pet Otoya’s head; to his surprise, the other jerked away and huddled away from him, pulling the covers over his head.

“Otoya, you’re making me worry. What’s wrong?”

Tokiya could barely make out a muffled ‘nothing’, and sighed again. _Stubborn_ , he thought, moving closer to tug the covers away.

“Otoya, Nanami-san came to me personally asking about you. You made her worry when you didn’t turn up for class.”

“I want my mama.”

Otoya’s sudden confession was another surprise, and Tokiya hesitated before reaching out to pet his head again.

“Your mother’s not here, Otoya.”

“Tokiya, I want my mama…”

“… Do you want me to call her?”

Otoya shook his head and shuffled closer, and Tokiya caught a glimpse of tear-streaked cheeks when Otoya moved to bury his face against the crook of Tokiya’s neck. The older teen resisted the urge to push the younger away when his personal space was invaded, petting the red hair awkwardly instead.

“Otoya, please… tell me what’s wrong. I can’t help you if you don’t tell me.”

“My mama’s not here.”

“Of course she isn’t.”

Tokiya winced when Otoya tensed up and punched him on the shoulder, fresh tears spilling from his eyes. Stunned, he was about to ask when Otoya threw another punch at his shoulder, yelling angrily.

“Of course she’s not here! Mama’s dead! Don’t you get it, Tokiya? Mama died saving me!”

“Otoya, please calm down! I didn’t know your mother died, I honestly don’t.”

Otoya gave a frustrated cry that dissolved into loud sobs, prompting Tokiya to pull him into another hug despite his instincts to run for it. Gently carding his fingers through the short red spikes, Tokiya hummed and held the boy in his arms gently, mimicking what he remembered his own mother used to do for him. A song popped into his head, and softly, he began to sing, his voice echoing in the room.

“ _kisetsu wa peeji wo mekuru you ni / megutte iku tabiji  
kyou wa naitatte ashita waraeba / atarashii hi ga kimi wo terasu_

_tsukareta nara kata no ni wo oroshite / ima dake wa iu yo, oyasumi  
yami wo saku MOON LIGHT / michibiku hikari wo boku ga terasu kara_

_itsumo to chigau hibi ya nakushita ima ni /obienakute mo ii  
tsuyosa ni shigamitsuku koto ni kodawaranakute mo / mae ni susunde ikeru kara_

_kono te wo tsunaide omoi wo tsumuidara / ima dake wa iu yo, oyasumi  
yami wo saku MOON LIGHT / kimi wo tsutsumikomu hikari hanatsu kara_

_nemuru mae ni / kimi no uta wo sukoshi dake kikasete  
kitto tsuki made todoi tano naraba / taiyou ga hansha shite  
tsugi no asa ni wa kimi dake ni todoku / atarashii hikari ni naru kara  
utai tsuzukete ima / kimi dake no komori uta wo_

_tsukareta nara kata no ni wo oroshite / ima dake wa iu yo, oyasumi  
yami wo saku MOON LIGHT / michibiku hikari wo boku ga terasu kara_

_kono te wo tsunaide omoi tsumuidara / ima dake wa iu yo, oyasumi  
yami wo saku MOON LIGHT / subete tsutsumikomu  
hikari de kimi wo_

_terashi tsuzukeru kara… oh… “_

Otoya quietened down as Tokiya continued to sing, face still buried against the older boy’s neck. He looked up once Tokiya was done, wiping at his face messily and attempting to smile. Returning the smile with one of his own, Tokiya used the edge of the blanket to dry Otoya’s face, nodding once he’s done.

“Sorry, Tokiya… shouldn’t have made you worry…”

“Shh. You can tell me about it later, Otoya. Are you hungry?”

“A little…”

“Mn. Take a rest, I’ll buy you something to eat.”

“Okay.”

Tokiya moved away as slowly as he could, tucking Otoya into bed properly before he pressed a kiss to the younger boy’s forehead.

“Tokiya…?”

“It’s to ward off bad dreams. Rest, and I’ll wake you up for food.”

“Un, okay. Thanks, Tokiya.”

—-

The trip to Saotomate and back was rather uneventful, save for a call from Ren asking about the situation. Haruka was with the blond when he called, and Tokiya had to reassure her a few times that yes, Otoya’s fine, he’s just feeling under the weather, and yes, he’ll take care of his roommate. Returning to his room, he sighed when he saw Otoya asleep on _his_ bed, setting the bag on the table before going over to gently shake the redhead awake.

“Otoya, wake up.”

Mumbling in his sleep, the younger male rubbed at his eyes, blinking blearily at Tokiya.

“Nnh, Tokiya?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

“How long was I asleep?”

“Not long.”

Yawning, Otoya sat up and stretched, smiling slightly when Tokiya dropped a wrapped curry bun in his lap before sitting down beside him. He unwrapped it, taking a nibble and sighed, leaning against the older male and was pleasantly surprised that he didn’t push him away.

“Thanks, Tokiya… and I’m really sorry for earlier.”

“Eat first, Otoya. Tell me when you’re ready.”

The redhead smiled and ate his bun quietly, the silence comfortable between them. He stole a few glances at his roommate, then blushed when he was caught looking, wrapping the half eaten bun and sighing again.

“So, uhm, yeah. About earlier… my mama died during this time, in a plane crash.”

“But you mentioned your mom a few weeks back.”

Otoya shook his head. “No, that’s my adoptive mother. I call her mom. My real mama… we were on a plane, I was told. I was less than two years old? I know she was protecting me when the plane nosedived on the runway, and I survived, but she didn’t… And her relatives… they blamed me for her death and sent me to the orphanage. I like the orphanage better anyway… But, every year, around this week, I avoid everyone, so they don’t have to see this side of me. Because, yanno, no one likes a mopey Otoya…”

“You don’t have to blame yourself, Otoya. It wasn’t your fault.”

“But she sacrificed herself to save me!”

“She did it because she loves you. Any mother would do that.”

“But her relatives-“

“They’re no longer yours, aren’t they? Once you’re adopted, you belong to your new mother’s family. Do they treat you kindly?”

“… Yeah, I suppose they do…”

Tokiya gave Otoya a small smile, squeezing his shoulder lightly. “Do you love them? And the people at the orphanage, do you love them too?”

“I do. They’re my family. They’re _all_ my family.”

“Then focus on that the next time this week comes around. I know you feel guilt for your mother, but know that it isn’t your fault, Otoya. Your mother protected you and allowed you to live, and that’s important.”

Otoya gave it a thought, then smiled brightly as he hugged Tokiya loosely. The older boy returned the hug after a moment, ruffling the red hair lightly.

“Thanks Tokiya… You’re a great friend, what would I do without you?”

“For one thing, Nanami-san will be worried sick and it’ll all be your fault.”

“Aah! I should call her to apologise-“

Tokiya snorted, nudging Otoya off his bed.

“First things first, why did you move to my bed?”

“A-ah, about that… You’re not angry right?”

“No. I just wanted to know why.”

“Uhm, I thought it’ll be safer? I’m sorry, I’ll move back to my side…”

Pink coloured Otoya’s cheeks, the younger teen ducking away to move to his own side of the room. Tokiya looked on, curious, but not pressing. The redhead continued to intrigue him with his little eccentrics, and, after knowing about his past, the older teen felt somewhat closer to the younger. Not enough to trust him with HAYATO’s secret yet, but enough to share small secrets like this.


	5. Mentoring

—-

It was the morning after Otoya’s breakdown, and a frowning Tokiya stood in the bathroom, inspecting the large bruise on his left shoulder. He never realised how strong his roommate was until he took off his shirt, his pale skin stained a dark purple. The bruise was around the size of a golfball, and he could easily hide it under his uniform since it was only on his shoulder, but it was annoying to have. He huffed and pressed down on it with a wince, forcing it to heal faster, only to be interrupted by impatient knocking on the door.

“Tokiya! Let me in, I have to pee!”

He sighed and wore his shirt again to hide the bruise, unlocking the door to let the redhead in first before he went out. Sure, he could tolerate being naked around Otoya when they shared a shower together, but shower times and potty times were two totally different matters. And Otoya relieving himself was something he wasn’t keen on watching.

“Honestly, Otoya, can’t you wait until I am done showering?”

“Sorry, Tokiya, but I really have to pee. I think I drank too much juice last night.”

 _I’m glad he’s feeling better though,_ Tokiya mused as he leaned against the wall, still rubbing at his bruise while he waited for his roommate. _I shouldn’t tell him about this though, or he’ll feel guilty all over again…_

“Nee, Tokiya?”

“Yes?”

“Uhm, I’m sorry for causing you trouble yesterday.”

“Don’t apologise. We were all worried about you.”

“Ah.”

After a comfortable silence, Otoya emerged just as the toilet flush was heard, wiping his wet hands on his t-shirt. Tokiya clicked his tongue at that, pointing to the towels on the rack, and Otoya looked up, confused.

“The towels are there for a reason, Otoya.”

The redhead tilted his head and turned to the towel rack, then looked down at his hands sheepishly, hiding them behind his back.

“Ah, sorry. Habit.”

“Break it. Once you become an idol, you have to understand that everyone will be watching you, and everything you do will reflect on your company, not just yourself. So make sure you’re not making a fool of yourself, and keep yourself in check.”

The adoring look on Otoya’s face once he was finished made Tokiya look away self-consciously. Did he say too much? He’d never given anyone advice before, since he didn’t care about the others before Otoya, so why did he bother now? Even though they’re roommates, they’re still rivals, and rivals don’t give each other advice, right?

Tokiya was shaken out of his thoughts when Otoya took his hands and grinned widely, the adoring look still in his ruby eyes.

“Uwah, Tokiya, you know so much about this! I feel like a beginner compared to you.”

“I… my brother is HAYATO, after all. He taught me everything.”

Otoya laughed, the silly grin still on his face. “Must be good being the younger twin brother of a famous idol-“

Tokiya shot him a glare, shutting him up effectively. “No, it isn’t. Now stop talking about him.”

“…okay.”

Tokiya sighed and shook his head when he saw the crestfallen look on Otoya’s face, going back into the bathroom for his shower. His roommate should have learned by now that HAYATO was never a good discussion topic.

—-

Otoya was practicing some sort of dance steps when Tokiya stepped out of the bathroom, and he raised an eyebrow amusedly at the choice of music he chose to dance to. He had seen the younger male move before, and while he was impressed with Otoya’s hip hop style, he was certain the redhead had never taken ballroom dance lessons in his life.

Smiling to himself, Tokiya changed into his clothes before he went over to the sound system to turn the volume down. Otoya looked up from where he was, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

“A-ah, Tokiya, sorry, was I being a bother? I could go somewhere else to practice-“

“Class assignment?”

Otoya nodded, his ears turning the same shade of red as his hair. “Sensei wanted all of us to learn a formal dance, and waltz is the easiest, but it’s really hard without a partner.”

Tokiya nodded, walking over to his roommate. Gently, he took both Otoya’s hands, nudging the younger teen’s feet apart with a foot.

“Feet apart. Back straight. Follow my movements.”

Slowly, Tokiya began to move, stepping right-left-right to Otoya’s left-right-left, to a three beat rhythm. The younger teen followed obediently, looking down just in case he accidentally stepped on Tokiya’s feet. They carried on like this for a while, Otoya grinning confidently after he was used to the movement. Tokiya took that as a sign to continue on.

“Alright, Otoya. Hold out your arms and stand with your feet together.”

Otoya looked confused, but followed Tokiya’s instructions, blinking when the raven-haired male stood closer than before. His hands were guided to their positions; left hand on Tokiya’s right shoulder, right hand held in Tokiya’s left, and he blushed lightly when Tokiya pulled him close, their bodies almost touching and breaths mingling. Sure, he was used to being close to Tokiya physically, but not as intimately as this.

“Tokiya?”

“You’re going to be the girl first, so I can teach you how to move. Pay attention.”

Otoya gulped and nodded, avoiding his partner’s gaze and looking everywhere before he settled for looking at their feet. He had to take this seriously; Ringo did mention how important it was for their upcoming exams.

“Right back.”

The redhead barely had time to register the words before he found himself shifted backwards, instinctively moving his right leg back just as Tokiya moved his left foot forward.

“Left out.”

“Ah!”

Otoya felt the push towards his left, moving half a beat behind Tokiya, much to the older male’s amusement.

“Right in.”

Still blushing, the younger teen finished the third step, closing the first bar. He continue to avoid Tokiya’s gaze, staring at his left shoulder instead as he was led into the next bar, starting with the opposite foot. It was a little smoother the second time, since Otoya knew how to anticipate the movements, and the pair waltzed around the room slowly.

After the fifteenth round, Otoya snuck a glance at Tokiya, and was surprised to see his eyes half closed and a faint smile on his lips.

“Tokiya?”

“Yes, Otoya?”

“Um, do you like dancing?”

Tokiya stopped and sighed, moving away from Otoya as he kept his face impassive. “Yes. Now, no more questions. It’s your turn to lead.”

“Ah, okay.”

Otoya stepped forward and copied what Tokiya did to him earlier; Tokiya’s left hand now rested on his right shoulder, and Otoya took Tokiya’s right hand in his left, pulling the raven-haired boy close with his own right hand. It was a little awkward since Tokiya was taller than him, and Otoya could feel his blush returning as he stared at their joined hands instead.

“So, it’s left forward first?”

“Yes.”

Otoya moved, and Tokiya followed suit, the two boys waltzing around the room to the soft and steady count of the music, one-two-three one-two-three. Otoya continued staring at their hands, and only after the tenth round of leading did he look straight at his partner before asking the question that was on his mind from the time they switched roles.

“Tokiya?”

“Yes, Otoya?”

“Why are you helping me? Aren’t we, yanno, rivals, since we’re all going to be solo idols one day?”

Tokiya shook his head, frowning when Otoya stopped moving. “This is the least I could do in return for what you taught me before.”

“Eeh? But all that stuff is just little stuff! They don’t really count when it comes to our exams and-“

“ _Otoya_.”

The redhead closed his eyes, a shiver running down his spine when Tokiya called him with _that_ tone of voice. It had a strange undertone to it, something Otoya couldn’t put a finger to. But it was soothing, and calm, and the younger male felt his heartbeat increase just a tad.

“Otoya, are you alright?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m okay. I think I need some air.”

Tokiya watched him leave, sighing and rubbing at his bruise again. This was going very strangely, a little awkward in fact. He hoped that it would get better, somehow.


End file.
